20th RAI MMR HR Conclave 2026 Focuses on Retail Talent, Digital Transformation and Leadership

Industry leaders discuss agile, digitally enabled and human-centric talent strategies at the 20th Manning Modern Retail HR Conclave in Mumbai

The 20th edition of the Manning Modern Retail (MMR) 2026 HR Conclave, hosted by the Retailers Association of India (RAI), was held on September 3, 2026, at The Westin Mumbai Garden City, Goregaon. The conclave brought together CEOs, CPOs and CHROs, academic experts and industry thought leaders to discuss the theme “The New Retail Talent: Agile, Digital, Human.”

Retail is undergoing continued transformation as technology advances, consumer expectations evolve and new retail formats emerge. Quick commerce, omnichannel experiences and AI-powered operations are changing the skills and capabilities required across the sector.

The 2026 MMR HR Conclave examined how retail organisations can develop professionals who are able to respond to changing consumer behaviour, use digital tools and data-driven insights, and maintain meaningful human connections with customers.

Building the New Retail Workforce

The theme “The New Retail Talent: Agile, Digital, Human” highlighted the importance of agility, innovation, collaboration and empathy in building a future-ready retail workforce.

Discussions at the conclave focused on how HR leaders can respond to changing talent requirements, develop agile and digitally enabled teams, strengthen organisational competitiveness through people and contribute to a more human-centric future of work.

Speaking about MMR HR Conclave 2026, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said:

“India's retail sector is the country's largest employer after agriculture — 40 to 50 million people, across metros, tier-2 towns and everywhere in between. Few industries offer that kind of reach, or that kind of entry point: a shop floor is often where someone gets their first job, their first taste of financial independence, sometimes their first real career. Retail also has the potential to be India's largest employer of women. Manning Modern Retail exists to put the employee at the centre of that story because they are the first customer any retail brand has, and how we treat them shows up in every interaction that follows.”

Kavindra Mishra, MD & CEO, Shoppers Stop, said:

“Retail leaders have spent years chasing the perfectly personalised customer journey. But you cannot deliver that consistently with a frontline that doesn't feel any of that same personalisation coming back to them. The next competitive edge in retail won't come from another app or another algorithm — it will come from whichever organisation figures out how to make its own people feel as understood as it wants its customers to feel.”

Harsh Aparanji, CHRO, Landmark Group, expressed:

“Omnichannel retail has redefined expectations — the same associate is now expected to understand digital tools, manage in-store experience, and bring the warmth that keeps a customer coming back. That's a real skill shift. Organisations need to build new frontline capability as they invest in the technology.”

Amit Chincholikar, Group President – Human Resources, Hinduja Group, commented:

“Across a diversified group, the hardest HR problem isn't finding talent — it's building one coherent people philosophy that still makes sense whether someone is on a factory floor, a retail counter, or a boardroom. AI and digital tools are changing how fast we can hire, train and deploy people, but they don't change what people actually want: clarity on where they're headed, and proof that the organisation is paying attention. Get that right at scale, and agility follows on its own.”

Retail and HR Leaders at MMR 2026

The conclave also featured Jordan Doppange, CEO, Celio India; Lakshmi Krishnan, HR Head – Arvind Fashion; Sudakshina Ghosh, Head HR – BATA; and Nambita Banerjee, CHRO – Shoppers Stop.

Other participating industry experts included Manjula Rao, CHRO – FirstCry; Mahesh Kudtarkar, Vice President & HR, Reliance Digital – Reliance Retail; Udhaya Shankar, CHRO – Comfort Grid Technologies Private Ltd. (The Sleep Company); and Parineeta Cecil Lakra, Vice President, HR – Albertsons Companies India, among others.

Retail HR Awards Finalists Felicitated

The finalists of the Retail HR Awards were felicitated at the conclusion of the summit.

MMR HR Conclave Continues Focus on Retail Talent

The Manning Modern Retail (MMR) HR Conclave has established a platform for discussions around the changing challenges and opportunities facing retail HR.

Through conversations among retail HR professionals and industry leaders, the conclave provides an avenue to exchange perspectives, share practices and examine strategies for strengthening talent and supporting sustainable growth in a rapidly changing retail environment.